ANALYSIS: New PSU running back Richy Anderson

Over the next few days, I’m going to be giving you a preview of the seven new football players — five on scholarship and two run-ons — who have enrolled at the school and will be part of the 2013 Nittany Lions. Today, we continue with running back Richy Anderson.

If you’re familiar with the name, there’s good reason. Anderson’s father, the similarly named Richie Anderson, was a star running back at Penn State in the early 1990s, and was the school’s leading rusher ever until Tony Hunt and Evan Royster surpassed him in recent years. The elder Anderson was a powerful running back with decent speed who wound up having a terrific career as a fullback in the NFL.

Watching film on the younger Anderson, I wound up surprised how unlike his father he ran the football. Richy has good speed, he sees the hole well and he finishes off the run well by not being afraid to try to power through defenders. That said, he’s a much more slender back than his dad was. His dad was a pure power back, but Richy is not. Richy, in fact, looks like he has quite a bit of potential as a receiver if he can’t find consistent playing time as a tailback.

This is a good, solid all-around back, but he can use plenty of time in the weight room. At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, he doesn’t possess the size other Penn State backs have. He’ll need to add 10-15 pounds, I’d think, to be able to carry the load someday.

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